Cabinet for electrical appliances.



E. M. CRANE & C. R. PELTON.

CABINET FOR ELECTRiCAL APPLIANCES.

APPLlCATION FILED MAR. 27, 1916.

Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

iiiw- E. M. CRANE & C. R. PELTON.

CABINET FOR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.27.1916.

1,214,433. Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. F/y. 6 T\ 71w MTOE/YEY UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

ERNEST M. CRANE AND GHAUNCEY R. PELTON, 013 DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CABINET FOR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES.

Application filed March 27, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ERNEST M. CRANE and CHAUNoEY R. PELToN, citizens of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of {Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cabinets for Electrical Appliances, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

' This invention relates to a portable cabinet for carrying the electrical appliances and switches used by a dentist.

The cabinet includes apparatus for automatically withdrawing the electrically operated instruments-back into the cabinet after the operator has finished with them, and also apparatus for automatically cutting ofl the current by which such instruments are operated. This will more fully appear in the description following.

In the drawings,-Figure 1 is a vertical section taken from front to back, showing the extreme top of the cabinet in elevation. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken from side to side and showing the extreme top and bottom of the cabinet in elevation. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the switch which automatically cuts off the current when use of the instrument-is discontinued. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of such switch taken on the line AA of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the switch, one of the permanent magnets being sectioned. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the guide which guides the descending switch-operating weight. This view shows the switch in side elevation except for cutting away one-half of each of the arc-preventing magnets. Fig. 7 is a detail in section showing how the current is let into the flexible cords at the reels. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of one of the reels.

The cabinet is made up of a rectangular casing, which is very much higher than its thickness or breadth. The top of this rectangular casing is provided with an inclined switch board a preferably constructed of onyx or marble. This switch board is provided with a plurality of switch buttons 6, b which control various lights and devices used by the dentist in his operating room or in his laboratory, and rheostats 7 which control the flow of current to the instruments here- Specifieation of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 86,884.

inafter to be described. The rear wall of the casing is continued above the switch board a and forms a board upon which a number of gages 0, 0 may be located to indicate pressure, such as air pressures in a tank which supplies the air pressure hose and nozzle.

The buttons 5 are air pressure regulators, while the buttons 6 are air valve stems. It has not been thought necessary to show in detail the rheostats, wiring therefor, pressure regulators, valves and switches, as their particular form is no part of our invention and they can be easily located on the back of the switch board and back of the upright portion thereabove.

Within the cabinet and below the switch board a is located a cross bar cl, upon which are bolted a plurality of reel hangers e which journal the grooved reels f. These are double reels, a portion of greater diameter being arranged to hold the flexible electric Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

cord 9 of the electrically operated instrument. This portion of larger diameter is made large enough so as not to kink or dam age the cord which winds upon it. The portion of smaller diameter takes a tape h on whose lower end depends a weight i.

In Fig, 1 it will be seenthat a separate compartment is provided by the partition wall j in the upper front portion of the cabinet which is below the switch board. In this compartment are located the master switch buttons 8 which cut off or turn on the current for all the electrical devices. This compartment is provided with a swinging door Z2, by which access may be had to the compartment or the compartment completely closed and locked. lVhen the dentist desires to use any one of his electrically operated instruments, he throws open this compartment and grasps the instrument Z for instance, and pulls it out, the flexible cord 9 unreeling from the reel. The weight 2' offers a slight resistance to the withdrawal of the instrument but not an objectionable one. Now, this weight not only automatically pulls the tool back into the compartment and into its proper place in the compartment when the operator is through with it, but it serves a very important function in automatically turning on the current and switching off the current, as will be seen in referring to Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive. The weight runs in a vertical tubular guide m and when free to be drawn down by gravity rests upon the top of a yoke-like carrier n of the contact-bar 0 of the switch.

It will be noted that this yoke-like carrier is guided in two vertical passageways in the insulating block 10 of the switch, and that a coil spring 9 ordinarily serves to keep the contact-bar carrier in upwardly projected position so as to keep the switch closed in the manner shown in Fig. 4:.

The terminals of the electric circuit are shown at 1" and s and'are engaged by the spring-like contacts t at the ends of the contact-bar. These contacts are simply the looped ends of the contact-bar doubled over in such a shape as to give them a spring action. These contacts, therefore, have a wiping contact with the terminals of the insulating block and consequently keep the contacting surface of the terminals and contacts free from foreign particles that might interfere with the passage of the current.

It will be noted that the engaging portions of the terminals and the contacts meet between the poles of the laminated permanent magnets at which serve the purpose of eliminating arcs as much as possible when the contacts and the terminals are separated. The insulating block 30 is screwed to the posts 42, which in turn are screwed to the floor of the cabinet,

In Figs. 7 and 8 the wiring by which the current is carried into the flexible cord wound on the reels f will be seen. It comprises simply the carrying of the current through the ends of the reel j ournals on conductive pivots a; which are insulated from the metal of the hangers by the dielectric bushings y. The insulated wires then carry the current from the metal bushings .2 which revolve on the pivots m up through the side of the reel to the binding posts 1 where the wires 2 of the flexible cord 9 may be connected. I

From the above description it will be seen that this cabinet aflordsa very convenient way of grouping the control devices for electrical and air instruments and also some of the instruments themselves insuch a way that they may conveniently be carried around and always be in proximity to the place where the dentist is working. This is very important, as the dentist may carry the cabinet with him wherever he needs it by simply rolling. it around on the casters shown in the drawings, so that if he desires to work in his laboratory he may roll the cabinet in there and have free access to the electrically operated instruments, to the air hose and nozzles which may be carried on both sides of the cabinet as indicated at 3, and further, in case he wishes to operate any of the switches which are ordinarily located on a stationary switch board, all he has to do is turn around in his chair and manipulate the switch buttons on the top of the case.

The cabinet is also very convenient when working on a patient as it may be rolled around on either side of the operating chair where at the time it may be most convenient.

The instruments shown in the compartment may be designed for various purposes, for instance, there may be a cauterizer, a mouth light, a more powerful mouth light, and the fourth cord may be used for miscellaneous instruments that the dentist may desire.

The air hose on one side of the case may be used to operate a spray and similar devices, while the air hose on the right of the cabinet may be used to operate the hot air nozzle 4 used by dentists in drying surfaces.

We claim: 1. A cabinet having a plurality of electrically operated instruments withdrawable from said cabinet and withdrawable into said cabinet, means for automatically-Withdrawing said instruments into the cabinet when the use of the same is discontinued, and means for automatically switching on the current when said instruments are withdrawn from the cabinet and for cutting off the current when said instruments are drawn into the cabinet.

2. The combination of a cabinet provided with a top which serves as a switchboard and includes a plurality of switches for electtic circuits, a compartment located in the front of the cabinet below said switch board, a/ door for giving access to said compartment, and a plurality of electrically operated instruments supported on flexible cords automatically maintained in position in said compartment but which may be withdrawn from the compartment for use.

I In testimony whereof, we sign this specification.

ERNEST M. CRANE. CHAUNCEY R. PELTON. 

